Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-03-05
OLD NEW YORK.
PRENTICE MILFORD RECALLS THE
DAYS THAT WERE AND ARE NOT.
where Are the Boys that Jsed to Run
with the Machines When the Cry Of
Fire WAS Hesrd?-What Is the Progress
of To-day:

Fire WAS Heard3.What Is the Progress
of To-day:
lSpecia; CorrnspondeuCe.l
NEW YoaK, Feb. 2s-I knew New York
when rum of good quality was three cents
glass in front of the South street bar screens
and six cents behind them. Every bar then
in that part Of the city had a screen which
divided the price of drinks, and the high
priced siSpenny drinkers from the
low priced threepenny ones. That was
in 1854 or thereabouts Swell cigars
were three cents each. The remark "he
smokes three centers" WAS a criticism on per
sonal extravaganza. These may seem as
small things, but small things denote prog
ress As to cigars and whisky have we pro
gressed. In price, certainly. But the Nose
of 1854 would have been inclined to make
kindling wood Of the bar which should offer
him whisky Of the average quality sold to
dav at ten cents and hash of the bar
keeper. He could do and did do
such things on provocation. He was
tough" but not the numbering, sneaking,
ninety nine cent pistol tough of to-day.
What he did he did on his muscle, aided by
his "spanner" or boot toe. Have we in that
respect pro2ressed'
Mo,s was the volunteer fireman of 1854. He
has vanished. His red flannel shirt, plug hat
tipped over his eye, soap lock curl, trousers
| tucked in boots and coat flung OH arm re-
main only in the memories of the relative Few
who are rapidly becoming fewer. He be
longed to that New York era when, after
reaiymade clothing house fire, the "bhoy'
sported a new overcoat. when the ununi-
formed policeman looked like tramp, when
the star Wallacks old theatre,
was the highest one uptown; when
there was no shopping promenade
above Union square, when Bond and
Bleecker still retained bold a. fashionable
streets when white linen suits from top TO
toe were the thing for gentlemen's summer
wear When a man who had seen Paris was
| somebody; when the old style merchant wore
| a swallowtailed coat to business, high side
| board collar. a black stock, and a gold chain
| and seal dangling from his waSthand; when
oyster stews were a shilling each; when the
| volunteer fire companies ran the "masheeD
| on the sidewalk il they wanted to and left
wrecks of old women and their apple
| stands far as the eye could reach,
! when at big lire the boys manned
| the double deckers. and sang The Stormy
| Winds They do Blow by the hour. when
| the great omnibus sleigh, after a snowstorm,
| vas feature Of Broadway, carrying its load
of fifty or sixty, or as many men, boys girls,
etc, As could cram in OF hang on, or sit
| in each Others laps three deep, and every
BODY sr,wballsd them as they jingled past,
and they snowhalled everybody.
Have we indeed progresSsedt Have we now
such fun as people had thenf Have We grown
any younger, or youthfuller, or agilerf Is
our digestion or carrying capacity
for solid or fluid necessary for nutri-
| ton or recuperation or otherwise as
| good as it was theni Have We progressed
| What does fire amount to now, II is moth
ing but proeaic mechanical affair-a hauling
to it Of = steam pump on wheels-a severely
rigid and disciplined affair with no songs, no
fights, no poetry. no free rum, no freedom
for the firemans soul to expand and dare
danger and death to pluck a new overcoat
| from the devouring flames in the bosom of
| Abraham's clothing store Where is the fire